A/N: Okay, I know... too long. So I'll be quick here.
First and foremost, thank you to the BEST beta a girl could ever have- Claire Bloom, who makes this story what it is with her profound advice and irreplaceable guidance! I love you hard, honey! xoxo
Secondly- HUGE thanks to my lovely xXTailoredDreamsXx! She found me the musical inspiration for this one, as well as a title! If you're not reading her amazing fic, It's Real Life, you're seriously missing out! You can find the link on my page! :)
As always, I own a fabulous pair of sparkly flip flops, but NOT Twilight. :)
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Reflections of Truth
"Jumping to conclusions
Made me fall away from you
I'm so glad that the truth
has brought back together me and you"
The Best of me, The Starting Line
Bella
Edward had crossed the line by going to Ashley. As I sped towards Seattle, even with Alice's incessant clamoring, all I could focus on was getting to her in time. It was bad enough Riley, and that bitch, had Emily; Emily who had entered into our world willingly. But even though she knew the full extent of the danger she might face, this didn't mean she deserved to get kidnapped. She was an adult who had chosen a life wrought with uncertainty and risk, but what relationship didn't have it issues?
Ashley, on the other hand, hadn't done anything. She'd been born with a gift, and had the unfortunate luck to move into my old room. If Diane Newton had shown her parents a different house, on a different day, Ashley would have been at the diner with her friends, working on Biology homework and gossiping about boys. No, strike that. She'd be doing those things now if Edward had left her alone.
No, I considered, this isn't his fault, either. You did this; you brought her into this, and you have to get her out.
"You'll get them both killed!" Alice's voice rang in my ears, harsh and tinny. I didn't want to believe her. I was going to save Ashley. However, Alice had a point; she'd never lied about a vision before. To be fair, she'd never lied to me about anything at all, so, I reluctantly told myself if Alice said we needed to go back, then needed to go back.
I wished I could cry.
Funny, I thought.
Five years of yearning to rid myself of any leftover human emotions, and now I wanted to cry.
"Damn feelings," I muttered.
"What?" Alice asked, staring at me blankly.
"It's my fault, me and my damned emotions. If I'd never come back here, never knocked on their door… if I'd just said goodbye to Charlie on my own, somewhere far away…"
"Stop it, Bella," Alice's tone was steeled yet sincere. "We all make choices. Yours may have influenced Ashley, but she helped us locate Emily, and you helped her realize she's not some kind of freak, just very special. As for Edward, well, he may not have acted wisely, but his intentions weren't bad." I flinched at her defense of what Edward had done. "This isn't what I saw earlier about Edward and Ashley, Bella. This is all Riley. I don't know how he discovered Ashley's gift, but he did. He chose to take her, Bella. This is his fault."
"But she wouldn't even be involved if I…"
Alice held up her hand to stop me. "She's his cousin, Bella. It's possible he knew about her before we did." She sighed and looked at me pleadingly. "I get it," she said. "But we can either go around, and around about whose fault it is, or we can go back to Forks, get the others, and fix it."
As usual, Alice was right. It was entirely possible Riley had been watching Ashley before I had come back.
"Fine," I sighed. "But we're making a detour into Port Angeles, first."
"Where are we going?" Alice raised a tiny eyebrow in my direction.
I shot her a smile, making my decision clear to her.
"Nice," she agreed, smiling. "Back up."
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Alice and I arrived back at the Cullens' house to find Edward pacing the front porch. The fact that he paced when he was worried, or upset had always intrigued me. Being a vampire, it fascinated me even more. Vampires didn't pace; it was far too human a response to stress. Seeing him, I recalled the first time another vampire had pointed out that I, too, paced.
Piazza San Marco, Venice Italy
I had hacked into Renee's email once again to find yet another letter to my father. She was pleading with him to do something more to find me. She told Charlie if he didn't find "that Cullen boy" soon, then she would. The idea that Renee could accomplish such a thing was laughable. Renee had a hard time finding her keys in the morning. But I was still concerned she might actually try. Feeling edgy, I left my hotel and walked along the canals, ending up on the Piazza San Marco. As I paced the perimeter of the marble salon for the fifth time, I realized I wasn't alone anymore.
"What's troubling you this evening?" her voice rand out softly from the other side.
Looking over, I noticed her standing between two columns, directly opposite me. Her long, blonde hair caught the moonlight as she stepped out from her hiding spot. For a fraction of a second, she looked like… and I thought maybe…
"What do you want?" I asked, mentally kicking myself for even thinking such a thing.
Laughing lightly, she answered, "Nothing at all. I was just out, getting some dinner, you know. And I saw you here, trying to walk a hole through the square."
Her reference to dinner, saying it as though she'd gotten pasta at a nearby cafe', made me want to scream. I hoped my distaste didn't catch her attention.
"I try and make an effort to get to know any newcomers," she continued without missing a beat. "It's really not such a big place, Venice."
"No worries," I assured her, "I'm only passing through." I wanted to be sure she understood that I wasn't there to take her territory.
"How old are you?" she inquired as she walked closer to me. "I mean, really?" She winked.
Her appearance registered somewhere around my age, though she was obviously much older.
"Twenty," I said.
"Hmm," she mused, glancing over me in a strange fashion, as though she were examining the vintage on a bottle of wine. "So, what? Two years, then? Maybe three?" Her tone was friendly enough, she didn't appear to be playing games or looking for a fight of any kind.
"Two years and twelve days," I murmured.
She laughed again, "I remember keeping count like that, at first. You stop after a couple of decades, though. Or at least, I did."
"How long ago was that?" I asked. She may have claimed she didn't keep track, but I knew better.
She chuckled then, louder and more heartily. "One hundred, seventeen years, seven months, and…" she looked up at the cloudless sky, "… nine days." Standing in front of me now, she extended her hand to introduce herself. "I'm Helen."
Even though it seemed strange, I reached out and shook her hand, responding in kind, "Isabella."
"Quite an Italian name for such an American sounding girl," she commented.
"Yeah, well, like I said, I'm just passing through," I reminded her.
"Calm down, Isabella," she smiled, "we're cool here. There are so many tourists, and really not too many of us. It's a little close to Volterra for most of our kind. God!" she gasped. "You do know about Volterra, right?" I simply nodded in response. "Good," she sighed, "because those are some creepy bastards and…" Helen's words died as she finally caught a glimpse of my eyes. "Well, how about that?" she noted, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head. "I guess we really don't need to be worried about you, do we? Those eyes of yours… you're one of those 'vegetarians' aren't you?" She used her fingers to make little air quotes when she said the word 'vegetarians'. She narrowed her eyes in thought and muttered to herself, "Weird."
"What?" I asked.
"Oh," she said, snapping her attention back to me. "It's just, well, I'd heard of you. I mean, not you in particular, but… I'd never run across anybody like you. Just last week, though, I met this guy with eyes like yours in Volterra. Come to think of it, he was a pacer, too."
"Last week?" I questioned. "In Volterra?"
"Yeah," she replied, "I went for the festival. It's a real riot, all the humans dressed up, with fake fangs and garlic around their necks. Anyway, there he was all pretty and brooding, pacing up and down one of the back alleys."
Did she say pretty and brooding? I struggled to listen to the rest of her tale.
"My friend and I asked if he wanted to party with us, but he wasn't interested. He said he had business to take care of. I watched him most of the night, standing outside the big door that leads to the castle, pacing. He was gone by morning, of course. I just hope they didn't let him inside. You know what they say, there's no exit to the castle."
Helen's story stunned me. Pretty and brooding, with eyes like mine; only one vampire fit that description.
I said goodnight to her, politely declining her offer to go back with her, and meet her friend. Instead, I checked out of my hotel and caught a three a.m. flight to Japan.
"Hellooo? Bella!" Alice's sing-song brought me back to the present, and her hand waving in front of my face. Edward had quit pacing and was staring at the car, which we were still sitting in.
"Sorry," I apologized.
"Where'd you go?" she asked, after which she cocked her head to the side and wondered, "Is that what I look like?"
"Nowhere, I'm fine." I answered her initial query, then smiled, "and yes."
I quickly got out of the car, only to be rushed by Edward.
"Bella, I'm so glad you came back. Jasper's been on the phone with Jacob, and he's on his way," he informed me.
"Good," I said. "We need to move on this."
As I walked into the house, I overheard Rosalie talking with Carlisle. "I'm just pointing out, that we don't need any more humans involved. We need to do something about Ashley's parents. People saw us with her at the school, and at the diner."
"I imagine Riley took care of Ashley's parents already," I interrupted. Everyone in the room looked at me, either stunned or confused.
"You don't think he - " Esme started.
I realized then what I'd said and quickly corrected, "I don't mean like that, I meant he probably left a note, in her handwriting, saying she's gone somewhere, at least overnight."
"You mean like a sleepover or something?" Rosalie asked.
"Yeah," I said flatly, "or, you know, she went on a hike with her boyfriend. Something to be sure they don't miss her for a while."
Edward entered the room just as the words left my mouth. He put his hand just above the small of my back, not quite touching me, and sighed, "Bella."
Funny, I thought about stepping away, but…
Sound familiar? I asked myself, glaring at him out of the corner of my eye.
He pulled his hand away and dropped his eyes to the floor. It was strange, almost as if…
The steady sound of a heartbeat grew faintly from the back of the house. Carlisle walked to the window and looked outside. He turned to tell us Jacob had arrived with Paul and Sam. I headed for the door with the others, but Edward stopped me.
"Will you please talk to me?"
"I'm pretty sure you know what I'll say," I replied, "so how about we just skip it?"
"Why are you being so stubborn?" he asked, increasing his grip on my wrist.
Seriously?
I rolled my eyes and said, "I realize that Riley taking Ashley really had nothing to do with what you did, but it doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you for doing it."
"Okay," he conceded. "But if you'd just let me explain –"
"Maybe," I sighed. "After. Right now, we need to focus on getting Ashley and Emily back alive. We can deal with… us… later."
Shit. Did I just say 'us'?
A tiny smile crinkled the edges of Edward's eyes.
"Fine," he agreed, letting the smile take over his lips as he released my wrist.
"What's that about?" I asked, waving my hand in a circle around his face.
He took a few steps backwards and wagged his eyebrows at me before turning to walk away.
Jasper walked in immediately with Carlisle and Jacob, heading to the study to discuss strategy. As I walked outside, I saw Emmett take Paul into the yard to practice fighting.
"You shouldn't see any action," Emmett said, "but just in case."
Alice had dragged Esme upstairs to find appropriate clothes for everyone, which left me on the back porch with Rosalie and Sam, since Edward had gone AWOL, or as Rosalie said, he was 'fitting in a little brooding before the big day'.
"So," Sam directed his attention to me, "I haven't really gotten the chance to say I'm sorry. About Charlie, I mean."
"Thanks," I said.
"He was a good man, your father. He loved you more than anything."
"He was." It was all I could manage to get out.
"Did you know he harassed the hell out of Jacob when you left?" I shook my head. "Charlie was convinced Jacob knew where you were and just wasn't saying. Things got a little… strained between him and Billy for a while."
"Please tell me they worked it out," I sighed before I could stop myself. I couldn't stand the thought of my father losing his oldest friend because of me.
"They did," Sam assured me. "In fact, and I hope I'm not over stepping by telling you this, but I'm pretty sure your dad knew… what happened to you."
"What?" I gasped. "How?"
"One night at Billy's," Sam began, smiling a little, "it was kind of funny actually. Jacob and Paul got into it, phased and everything right in the front yard. Billy and I were talking them down when Charlie pulled up. He jumped out of the car, rubbing at his eyes like he was seeing things." He chuckled at the memory. "Billy managed to get him inside while I handled the boys. Later, when I asked, Billy just said he'd set Charlie straight. He never explained exactly what he meant, but after, well, that's when Charlie finally stopped looking for you."
I had nothing to say.
"Was that supposed to make her feel better, or something?" Rosalie piped up, examining a fingernail. "Way to cheer up a girl. 'Your dad stopped looking for you because he found out you'd likely been turned into one of the undead.' Good job, dog."
"Actually," Sam sneered, crossing broad arms over his wide, bare chest, "I did have a reason. Bella, until that night, your father spent every spare minute of his day looking, searching for any shred of evidence that you were coming home, and even when he quit looking, he never gave up hope."
Venom prickled behind my eyes, and my chest tightened as he spoke.
"You're a lot like him," Sam finished, "and I know you won't give up on Emily."
"I won't," I promised.
"Jeez," Rosalie quipped, "all that just to say you trust her?"
I rolled my eyes and told Sam, "Ignore her."
Carlisle and Jasper came outside then, followed by Jacob and Edward. Jacob looked upset and Edward looked downright smug. I shot Jasper an inquisitive look, and he shook his head, smiling. Alice and Esme appeared, taking up their places beside Carlisle and Jasper. Emmett allowed Paul one sucker punch to the ribs before laughing and trotting over to where we stood.
Jacob came to my side and leant next to my ear. "Hey," he said, bumping my shoulder.
"Hey," I said.
"How's it goin'?" he asked nonchalantly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
"Oh, you know," I laughed, "same old, same old."
I heard a low rumble from Edward, and looked up to see him staring daggers at Jacob.
"He really doesn't like me, huh?" Jacob asked, eyeing Edward.
"Not so much," I replied, "but the feeling's mutual, no?"
Jacob bobbed his head and smiled, "Fair enough."
"Alright," Carlisle spoke, "Jasper, Jacob and I have had a talk, and gone over what we believe our options are. We've gotten a map of the area where Bella says Riley and Victoria may have Emily and Ashley. It's a fairly run-down area, so we don't think there will be a risk of exposure for any of us." He looked to Sam. "Jacob has agreed it's best if you stay on the edge of town, both for your safety and Emily's." It was obvious Sam didn't like the idea, but it was expected, and he acknowledged Carlisle with a swift nod.
"I'll get as close as I can," Jacob took over. "I'll troll the perimeter with Paul. You'll stay back with Quil. We'll all phase so we can stay in contact."
"As for us," Jasper stepped up, "we'll go in two groups. Edward and Rosalie will be with Bella and me, and the rest of you will be together, behind us. Hopefully, Edward will be able to tell us exactly where they are. Then, Bella and I will go in alone, since I'll need to use my gift once we're in there."
"Your what?" Paul interrupted.
Jasper winked at me and smiled. Everyone around me suddenly seemed very relaxed. Paul actually stumbled a bit. I focused hard on keeping Jasper out of my head, centering all my energy into fending him off. When Alice started to giggle and Paul looked ready to fall over, Jasper blinked and the connection was broken.
"Did you feel that?" Jasper asked Paul, who was rapidly blinking his eyes.
"Yeah," Paul muttered, shaking his head. "That's pretty cool."
"I don't get it," Jacob whispered to me. "What's he talking about?"
I stared at Jacob, stunned, and Paul cried, "Dude! How did you not feel that? It was like… I don't know, I just totally blissed out for a minute."
Jacob shrugged his shoulders, "I didn't feel anything."
"How is that possible?" Esme asked. "Bella is the only one who can…" she stopped short and looked to Carlisle.
One eyebrow raised, Carlisle asked, "Bella, will you step over here away from Jacob?"
Still confused, I walked to stand beside Emmett.
"Okay," Carlisle said, "Jasper, try again."
Jasper concentrated on Jacob alone, his eyes hard and steely. We all watched as Jacob's face went from tight and nervous to relaxed and calm. He stayed that way for a few moments before Jasper released him.
Jacob rocked back on his heels and scrubbed his hands down his face.
"What the hell was that?" he asked.
"That," Alice said, "was Jasper's gift."
"Like I said," Paul nodded, "pretty cool, huh?"
Jasper walked over to me and draped his arm over my shoulder.
"Well, I'll be damned, Bells," he grinned. "Have you been holding out on us, darlin'?"
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End Notes: So...the flashback? Sam's little revelation? Bella? What say you, people? :)